Avro Lancaster B Mk.III

RAF No.617 (Dambusters) Tromso Fjord,

Norway, Tirpitz Sinking, November 12th 1944

Corgi 1:72  AA32629

Operation Catechism, on November 12, 1944, saw a renewed concerted effort by the Royal Air Force to destroy the powerful battleship Tirpitz. Eighteen Lancasters from 617 Squadron and thirteen others from IX Squadron took off from their temporary bases at Lossiemouth and Milltown in northern Scotland, heading for the Tromsø fjord.

All the aircraft carried more than the maximum fuel load for a Lancaster and were again loaded with Tallboy bombs, but this time their flight path bypassed Swedish airspace, attacking the Tirpitz from the opposite direction in the hope of taking the German defenders by surprise. When the Lancasters began their attack, they could clearly see the Tirpitz at a distance of 20 miles and, significantly, they saw no Luftwaffe fighters. Despite heavy defensive fire, the bombers continued their attack, with the first Tallboy bomb being dropped at around 8:40 a.m.

Over the next few minutes, the Tirpitz was subjected to an almost constant barrage of these devastating bombs, at least two of which hit the ship directly and others exploded close enough to cause additional damage. Just minutes after the first bomb was dropped, the Tirpitz began to list to port, initially appearing to tilt at an angle of about 35 degrees as water poured in, but after a massive explosion ten minutes later, the ship was completely submerged.

Avro Lancaster B.MK III

Designed to meet a specification for a new generation of "global-use" medium bombers, the Avro Lancaster was first used on January 8, 1941. The Lancaster was designed from a twin-engine aircraft named Manchester. The heavier Lancaster had four engines and a large bomb bay, the later versions of which could carry 22,000-lb bombs. Used primarily as a night bomber, the Lancaster was a versatile aircraft that became most famous for its role in the 1943 "Dam Buster" raids on the dams of the Ruhr Valley in Germany. Between 1942 and 1945, the Lancaster made 156,000 sorties, dropping 608,612 tons of bombs on enemy targets.

The Corgi Aviation series includes collectible models designed for collectors by collectors.

The models are highly detailed, authentically decorated and made of die-cast metal.

The Corgi Aviation Series offers: 

• Die-cast metal construction with some plastic components.
• Panel lines, antennas, access panels and realistic surface details.
• Markings and stamped plates that will not fade or peel like decals
• Interchangeable landing gear extended / retracted with rotating wheels.
• A display to display the plane "in flight".
• Many limited editions with numbered certificate of authenticity.
• Detailed and hand-painted characters of pilots and crew members.
• Loads of genuine detachable ammunition
• Some interchangeable features such as speed brakes, open awnings and access panels.
• Some moving parts such as turrets, control surfaces and swivel wings